Remai Modern facts for kids
| Art Gallery of Saskatchewan | |
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Exterior of Remai Modern
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| Established | 9 July 2009 |
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| Location | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collection size | 8,000+ |
| Architect | Bruce Kuwabara |
Remai Modern is a public art museum located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. This amazing art museum is built right along the west side of the South Saskatchewan River. It's part of the River Landing area in downtown Saskatoon. The museum's building is about 11,582 square meters (124,660 square feet). It was designed by a famous architect named Bruce Kuwabara.
The idea for a new art museum in Saskatoon started around 2009. This happened after plans to fix up the old Mendel Art Gallery were stopped. The new museum was officially created on July 9, 2009. It was first called the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan. In 2016, the city council changed its name to Remai Modern. This was because Ellen Remai, a kind person from Saskatoon, gave a huge donation of $30 million. Her gift helped pay for building the museum and for its programs. Construction for the museum began in June 2013 and finished in 2017. The Remai Modern opened its doors to the public in October 2017.
The museum has a permanent collection of over 8,000 artworks. These pieces are from artists in Canada and from all over the world. Its collection includes all the art from the former Mendel Art Gallery. It also has a special collection of more than 400 linocuts and ceramics by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. Besides showing its own collection, the museum also creates new exhibitions. It also hosts many art shows that travel from other places.
Contents
History of Remai Modern
How the Museum Started
Plans to build a new art museum began in the late 2000s. The old Mendel Art Gallery wanted to move to the River Landing area. But in November 2009, the city decided to build a brand new art museum there instead. The new museum officially became a company on July 9, 2009. It was called the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan Inc. Even though it's new, it received the art collection from the Mendel Art Gallery when it closed in June 2015.
Important Donations and Name Changes
In 2011, Ellen Remai made a very generous donation. She gave $15 million for building costs and another $15 million to support international art shows. She also donated a huge collection of Picasso linocuts to the museum. Because of her amazing gift, the museum decided to change its name. It became the Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan.
The first director and CEO of the museum, Gregory Burke, started in May 2013. Building the museum began on June 7, 2013. Money for the building came from the Canadian government, the provincial government, the city government, and private donors. The total cost to build the museum was about $84.6 million. The museum changed its name again in April 2014 to Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan. It was the first art museum in Canada to focus specifically on modern art in its name.
Board Changes and Final Rebranding
In December 2015, there was a disagreement about a board member's online comments. Local artists asked for the board member to be removed. An independent review was done, and the board member later resigned in April 2016.
In June 2016, the museum changed its name one last time to Remai Modern. Its logo was designed to look like "rRemai mModern". Even though the name changed, the museum is still officially called the Art Gallery of Saskatchewan Inc.
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The museum had a special opening ceremony on October 21, 2017. It included performances by First Nations and Métis artists. On the same day, Remai Modern opened its first art show called Field Guide. This show included art from the museum's modern collection. It also featured 13 artworks donated by Fred Mendel, which were the start of the Mendel Art Gallery's collection. These included works by famous artists like Lawren Harris and Emily Carr.
Architecture and Design
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The Remai Modern is located in the River Landing area of downtown Saskatoon. It has a great view of a curve in the South Saskatchewan River. The building was designed by Bruce Kuwabara from KPMB Architects. Another company, Architecture49, also helped with the design.
Building Features
The museum's design is inspired by the "Prairie style" of architecture. This style is known for its connection to the flat, open prairie landscape. The building's outside look is like the barns and silos you see in the prairies. It has parts that stick out over the river, called cantilevered stacks. The outside is made of glass and a special copper mesh. This mesh helps block the sun and creates cool shadows as the sun moves. The copper color was inspired by the roof of the nearby Delta Bessborough hotel.
The building is about 11,582 square meters (124,660 square feet) in size. It has four floors above ground and an underground parking area. A lot of steel was used to build it, about 1,200 metric tons (1,300 short tons).
Inside the Museum
The glass walls on the ground floor let visitors see outside easily. This makes the inside feel connected to the outdoors, just like the open prairie. The main entrance area has a very tall ceiling that goes up to the fourth floor. Its walls are also made of glass, giving great views of the South Saskatchewan River. This area also has a cozy fireplace.
The museum has eleven galleries where artworks are shown. There's also a cafe, a restaurant, and a gift shop. Visitors can use two learning studios and a theater with 150 seats. There are also spaces you can rent for events, a rooftop patio, and a lounge.
Permanent Collection
As of December 2020, Remai Modern has over 8,000 artworks in its permanent collection. This includes all the art from the former Mendel Art Gallery. The museum started collecting art for its own collection in 2014. It mainly focuses on modern and contemporary artworks. Most of the art in the collection has been given as gifts. However, the museum also buys art directly from artists or sellers.
Some of the artists whose works are in the Remai Modern's collection include Rebecca Belmore, Eli Bornstein, Georges Braque, and Stan Douglas.
Mendel Collection
The Mendel collection is now called the Mendel Art Gallery Collection at Remai Modern. It was the art collection of the old Mendel Art Gallery. This collection includes older artworks, mostly from the early 1900s. The Mendel collection has about 7,700 artworks. These include pieces by artists like Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, and Cornelius Krieghoff. There are also murals by William Perehudoff.
Artworks from the Mendel collection have been shown at the museum since it opened in October 2017.
Picasso Collection
A very special part of the museum's collection is the Picasso collection. It features ceramics and linocuts by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. In 2012, Ellen Remai donated 405 Picasso linocuts to the museum. This collection is the largest in the world of Picasso's linocut works. It includes almost all the different linocut designs he ever made. Besides the linocuts, the collection also has 23 Picasso ceramics. These were donated by Frederick Mulder in 2014.
Programming and Activities
Remai Modern offers many different programs for visitors. Besides seeing the permanent collection and changing art shows, you can also:
- Watch films.
- Listen to talks by artists or experts.
- Join art programs for students and other visitors.
- Take part in art programs held outside the museum.
- Enjoy live performances like dance, music, and other art forms.
The museum also has many online programs. You can find these on their website and social media pages.
See also
- List of art museums
- List of museums in Saskatchewan
